Every few months the Cork Branch of the Irish Restaurant Association organises ‘an outing’. A convivial get-together for like minded people to share ideas, learn something new and generally chill out.

On a Sunday morning recently a group of us tumbled onto a bus in the pouring rain. We headed for the Bandon area of West Cork – The plan was have a brisk walk before we tucked into a gargantuan lunch at Otto’s Creative Catering in Dunworley.

Miraculously the clouds parted, the sun shone and a rainbow lit the sky as we walked along the beautiful rugged coastline at Butlerstown, almost a 4½ mile stretch so we needed some refreshment before continuing on to Dunworley. We settled into the well known local hostelry O’Neills and played rings and darts for over an hour. My Aunt Florence was narrowly pipped at the post by David Kelly at rings and Jacque Barry at darts. I was awarded the wooden spoon having failed bitterly to get even one ring onto a hook in three attempts.

Otto’s Creative Catering, owned by Otto and Hilde Kunze is quite simply a little oasis close to the sea at Dunworley on the Seven Heads Peninsula. The tables were laid in the conservatory overlooking the organic vegetable garden. Pumpkins were piled high in an arrangement which was a celebration of the Autumn abundance. Pretty blue flowers of the Morning Glory climbed up the trellis and Physalis ripened in their papery lanterns. Otto & Hilde’s restaurant and cookery school is open just for pre -booked parties, who can decide what form they’d like their adventure to take.

Small groups can start with a cooking class, pick the vegetables in the garden, collect the eggs from the hens and then cook a delicious meal with Otto & Hilde. This kind of experience is such fun even for those who aren’t naturally at home in the kitchen- brilliant for a team building exercise.

We didn’t cook, simply tucked into one delicious course after the other served by Vic, the glamorous gardener turned waitress.  The starter was a mixture of exquisitely fresh organic salad leaves from the garden with cherry tomatoes, a blob of hummus, some diced cucumber with a quark dressing and a sprinkling of chives.

Wild mushroom soup followed with a basket of delicious home made sour dough breads, both wheat and rye.

Three main dishes were put in the centre of the table for us to help ourselves. Sauerbraten, a delicious German sour beef dish with a tomato, chilli and basil sauce. A fish cassoulet- salmon,. monkfish, brill and sea spinach in a creamy saffron sauce. Potatoes, rice, tiny roasted beetroot, French beans and the sweetest sweet corn I’ve ever tasted accompanied the main dishes.

Not surprisingly we all opted for a walk around the garden at this point and a trip to see the red Tamworth/Saddleback pigs in the field close by.

That just about made room for a Damson and Apple tart with a little glass of Sauternes- a Chateau les Tuileries 1996 from Jo Karwig – worth seeking out.

Otto has shared some of his recipes with us.

(Makes generous helpings for 4)

Wash three fistful of fresh herbs, one of parsley, one of dill and one of chives and chop finely – mix in a bowl with 300 ml. sour cream(alternatively mix 200 ml cream and 3 tablespoon soft cheese – “Jockey” is the brand name) the juice of 1 lemon, ½ teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and little pepper to taste – mix with your freshly picked salad greens, cucumber and tomato just before serving.

I also use this dressing as a dip for the first new potatoes of the season, just boiled in their skins.

(as a starter for 4)

Cut 400gr organic chicken breast (alternatively pork fillet) in 1″ cubes and put on 8 small skewers, marinate in a dish with the juice of 1 lemon, 1 teaspoon of Tabasco and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce for a couple of hours. Fry or grill very hot till browned outside and just cooked in the centre (approximately 5 minutes). Season with a little salt and serve with the peanut sauce.

Brown 150 gr. crunchy peanut butter in a saucepan till the colour turns slightly darker, add 200 ml. water, ½ teaspoon “Sambal” or minced chilli, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, ½ teaspoon ground cumin and ½ teaspoon ground coriander (alternatively just give it an Indian twist with curry powder) – bring to the boil while whisking the sauce and adjust the seasoning to your liking of hot food. Re-heating can turn the sauce too thick, but this can be cured by adding more water and seasoning.

(4 generous servings)

Gather the smallest field mushrooms buy cutting their stem and leaving their root system intact for future harvest, wash any dirt and grass off and weigh out 800 gr. for this recipe. Peel and slice roughly 1 big onion and fry in a saucepan with a little butter till slightly browned. Add 200 ml of cream and bring to the boil. Add the mushrooms and the juice of one lemon and simmer with lid closed for 10 min.. Pick out some of the smallest mushrooms and keep aside to be sliced and used as garnish just before serving. Puree the rest to a very smooth consistency – bring to the boil again, season to taste with salt and pepper. (When the glut of the season is upon us, you can freeze the soup quite successfully)

Dissolve 1 tablespoon of dry yeast in 500 ml warm water with 1 teaspoon sugar and let the yeast redevelop for 15 min., add 800 gr. unbleached organic strong white flour, 2 teaspoon sea-salt, 5 tablespoon olive oil and work it through with your hands (or K – beater) till all flour is absorbed, cover with cling film and allow to prove for a minimum of 2 hours in a warm place. Shape into three 1 ½” thick loafs without kneading it again, slit the top slightly to break the tension and allow rise until the volume has doubled. Bake in a preheated oven with a tray of water at 180 C. for 20 min.

(generous helping for 4)

Get a 1 kg piece of round steak (well hung, from a butcher who can ensure the quality) and marinate it for 4 days (covered in the fridge) in a marinade of 300 ml red wine, 200 ml red wine vinegar, 5 cloves, 2 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, 5 cloves, 1 tablespoon juniper berries, 1 medium carrot (peeled and roughly cut up), 3 onions (peeled and cut in rings), 1/4 head celery (chopped) – turn the meat in the marinade daily.

Dry the meat with paper towel and seal it in a very hot saucepan with 3 tablespoons olive oil till brown all round, add the marinade and bring slowly to the simmering point while removing all rising froth, add 2 teaspoon salt and keep on a very low heat for 1 ½ hours. Set the meat aside, strain the vegetables and spices off and discard, bind the cooking juices with a little cornflour dissolved in red wine, adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper and possibly a little sugar to break the edge of the acidity.  Slice the meat and serve with its own gravy.

Otto’s Creative Cooking, Dunworley, Butlerstown, Bandon, Co Cork

Tel 023-40461, Fax 023 40482 e-mail: ottokunze@eircom.net